Rise of the Brave-Tangled Dragons: The Fearless
by Brandishing No.2 Pencils
Summary: A familiar dark shadow had a plan in mind. Why else would he travel back in time and gather other villains? To defeat Jack Frost, of course, preferably two hundred and five years earlier. The thing is... he managed to create a conflict against three other teens. Now, the Big Four shall be formed and each one tries to be a hero, whilst asking themselves, "Who is the most Fearless?"
1. Prologue: Pitch

**Author's note: Second fanfic... Criticize if you must. Compliment if you want.**

**Disclaimer: I disclaim what ain't mine.**

**Prologue**

_Black_. Everything around him is pitch black... and he had become afraid of it. Ironically, he had named himself after the darkness.

Pitch stood up weakly. Thousands of feet above him, the moon shined down as if mocking him. He could still see the broken rotten bed partially obscuring that stupid celestial body.

How long was he being plagued by his own Nightmares? How many years had passed since annoying Jack Frost defeated him?

Pitch shadow-travelled. He had enough strength that allowed him to end up under a tree, just a few meters away from the bedpost. He is weak, and he knew it. He needed fear. He desired children screaming at his arrival. He wanted revenge. And most of all, he craved for _ice cream_.

After spending several years in his hot dark hole, Pitch would like to eat such remarkably cold dessert. He is definitely evil when he does that.

Where the heck are his Nightmares? They all probably ran away and was turned by 'oh-so-powerful' Sandy into dreamsand. Just then, Pitch realized that he did not have enough black sand to command. He almost face-palmed himself. He must travel to the nearest city, and maybe, he could use what little sand he had left to accumulate fear from the first poor child he sees sleeping.

Gathering a little more of his strength, he transported himself to a dark alley in a small town. He saw a few newspapers fluttering with the wind.

The Nightmare King picked one up, and read the date.

How many years since his defeat? _Five. Five wasted years._

That meant that those wrecked children from Burgess had become teenagers.

'If they still believed in the those Guardian fools,' Pitch thought, 'then it is a first, for teens to believe in so-called myths and legends.'

He crumpled the filthy newspaper, and then he threw it on the ground as hard as he could. He looked up at the star-dotted sky.

The moon was hidden from his view. Great.

He went inside the shoddy building nearest to him, and immediately, he saw his unfortunate victim of the night, snoring comfortably in her sweet bed. The Sandman had obviously come to this town a while ago, for dreamsand floated above the sleeping child's head.

_'One child for me to use,_' he thought darkly. _'One child to defeat them. One child to seal the world's fate. And in the darkness bind it._'

Pitch touched the dreamsand and corrupted it, watching turn gold into inky black. He summoned his own black sand, added it to the growing mass and allowed it to turn the child's dream of playing a violin expertly into her being pelted with tomatoes by the audience. The female child started crying in her sleep and started thrashing around. She held up her hands as if warding off the next vegetables coming her way. She was scared that this would happen to her later on.

Pitch definitely started to feel stronger. Also, he was delighted to be able to find more sand in this very room. He departed, chuckling into the night and leaving the child heaving, then he went back to his lair. He glanced at the moon, and was pleased to see that it is covered by a thick cloud. This time, direct assault won't do him any good.

He looked up at his crude Globe of Belief, and he was surprised to see that it had rusted a little more with time. A little more with time. Something inside him clicked.

_Time_.

That's it! If he needed to alter the present, he must do it in the past. But then again, he had _lost_ in the Dark Ages before, thousands of years ago. Besides, five against him seemed not a good idea. A very not good idea indeed.

He needed to build his own team, and he have to find it in different periods of time. People of today are trying and trying to find hope, wonder and fun, so they won't do him any good. He had to find twisted people taht could help him finally overthrow the Big Four and Jack.

Pitch touched his metallic Globe of Belief. He may not be a mechanic, but he will let his black sand do the trick. It trickled on the rusty surface, forcing it to change.

The globe began to shudder with too much power being delivered unto it. Then suddenly it began to spit out different scenes it had seen for the past few thousand years. There was a tall tower—no, it was replaced by a kingdom—Wait, now it showed dragons. Many more scenes were displayed in front of Pitch, all in a very fast succession. Pitch smiled, trying to pick a place in time. And then... **KABOOM**!

The Nightmare King was thrown back against the wall with force. Dazed, he looked up at the globe. It was emitting a dark portal. Pitch hastily sprinted in front of it. He could not see what is beyond it though.

He was delighted. He took one step after another and disappeared beyond it, laughing all the way.

_Author's note: I know many are already doing the Big Four fanfics, but **please** take time to read this...Thanks._


	2. Chapter One-Hiccup

Author's note:So, I thank all those who reviewed and followed my story. For the next lines, I admit I took a few ideas from the Internet. You see, I am collaborating what others imagine the Big Four movie to be. That will be all...

**Chapter One- Hiccup**

The sun smiled at the east of the island of Berk. Though located solely on the Meridian of Misery, Berk is supposedly a happy, tough neighborhood. In the chief's house, a teenage boy squinted his green eyes on his way to his bedroom's window. He looked outside just to admire the beauty of the land... and to watch the dragons frolicking across the fields.

Hiccup remembered the time when the very same dragons ran amok, slashing and breathing fire on his fellow Vikings. Those 'so-called' vicious creatures would then find where they hid the sheep and then incinerate yesterday's newly-renovated houses.

Hiccup reminisced the scene where he caught and tamed Toothless, a Night Fury, and how they trained each other and how both of them saved the day by killing the terrifying, 'queen' dragon, the Red Death. This towering monster gave the other smaller dragons a reason to ravage towns for food. Sure, he had lost his foot in the process... but it was worth it. In fact, he even found a date...

Of course, trouble comes often on the island's sea shore. For instance, Alvin the Treacherous, an Outcast and enemy of the tribe would hide behind the beach rocks and plan something there that might overthrow Hiccup's father, Stoick, otherwise known as '_I'll-pop-your-head-off'_ tribe chief. Indeed, Hiccup would stumble once in a while on a conversation between Gobber and his father about treacherous Alvin.

Sometimes, Hiccup would take bets with Astrid on what could Alvin be planning against the town of Berk. Once, Hiccup said that Alvin would plant hybrid cookies that would crumble the houses and leave everyone panicking, while Astrid replied that Alvin would want someone to teach him how to tame savage dragons and that he needs to kidnap Hiccup to do it for him.

Unfortunately, Astrid won the bet.

It was Mildew, a person who really hate dragons, who betrayed not only Hiccup, but also his people by giving him to Alvin the Humongous Bighead.

Hiccup was awoken from his stupor when he heard a crispy knock on his wooden door. Toothless, who was snoring a moment ago, perked up from its bed.

"HICCUP!" Stoick called in a voice that would cause an earthquake. "Wake up! You are supposed to meet with the representatives from the Dune Rock clan! They'll be here in 'bout three 'ours or so!"

Hiccup ran a hand through his hair. How could he have almost forgotten?

"It's DunBroch, dad," Hiccup replied recalling the letter. "And, yeah, I—" He sprinted hastily towards his closet. "I will get ready now. I'll be out in a moment!"

He ran his fingers on the fabric of his clothes. He chose what he basically wore everyday. Toothless nudged his arm.

"Oh, mornin', Toothless," Hiccup greeted absent-mindedly.

He was deep in thought.

A few days ago, a letter came to his dad. It is written on the letter that on the day of the fifth full moon, the princess of the clan of DunBroch desired to see the dragons she had heard that lurked on the island and tame one.

Normally, Hiccup would be suspicious about people asking him to see the creatures, but Stoick assured him that he knew the clan well—which makes Hiccup wonder why his father couldn't even name it— and it is ruled by King Fungus or something, but Hiccup didn't listen much to that part.

He stared at himself at the mirror. What should he say to a princess? Maybe he should practice the things he must say on Toothless.

"Okay, bud," Hiccup said to his dragon. "Look. This is the first time I will actually meet royalty. I'll rehearse my lines on you and just act the way a princess might react about what I am talking about. Deal?"

Toothless bobbed his head up and down, as if mimicking a nod.

"Okay, here it goes..." Hiccup had strike a provocative body-builder pose. "Good morning, highness!" He flashed a toothy smile. "Would you want to immediately ride the dragons I've trained?"

Toothless doubled over making small roaring sounds which might've been laughter. "Grahaha graha!"

Hiccup dropped his act. "Okay, okay, Toothless. That wasn't right." He paced for a moment, thinking about the right words.

He snapped his fingers. "Okay. How about this? Hello, princess. You're beautiful. You have a nice straight hair. Would you want to cruise around first on my dragon, Toothless?"

Toothless grunted.

"Really? Great. Then after that, I'll teach you how to tame one—because, you know, that's —that's my job I train dragons."

Toothless raised an eyebrow.

Hiccup took that as if the princess is in disbelief of him being the dragon trainer. "Well, yeah. Funny, but I am tougher than I look despite my small frame and stuff. So yeah, I'll give you a tour." He gestured outside.

"This is Berk. It snows nine months of the year...and hails the other three. Any food that grows here is tough and tasteless. The people that grow here are even more so. The only upsides are the pets. While other places have...ponies or parrots, we have...dragons! So yeah, d-did I mention I train those creatures?" Hiccup scratched his neck. "And while we ride through the sky with the wind blowing through your hair, why don't I just throw myself to the ground and die painfully—_wow what the hell am I doing..._" he added dryly in one breath.

Toothless shook his head.

"I know, bud. I suck." Hiccup sat down and put on his shoes. "You know, let's just eat. I really need energy for later."

He and Toothless ate breakfast quickly and the duo ran out of the house.


	3. Chapter 2- Hiccup Meets the Princess

**Chapter Two- Hiccup meets the Princess**

A big ship with a mermaid figurehead scattered the sand on the beach. Hiccup and his father, and his friends waited for it's passengers to dismount. Astrid held Hiccup's hand so firmly that he almost blushed. On the other side of Hiccup stood Snotlout and the twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut. Fishlegs was fidgeting behind Hiccup. Stoick was in front of him, standing straight and proud like a chief should.

A ramp was set on the side of the ship. They saw a beefy man, much like Stoick except that he had curly ginger hair, walked down upon it. He trudged towards them.

"Ah, Stoicke, first-born from the Hooligan tribe!" the man greeted in a Scottish accent. He shook Stoick's hand vigorously. "Long thime now see! Wi compheted for the h'and of sweet, dharling Elinor ramember?"

Hiccup tensed. 'Dad never told me that.'

Stoick chuckled. "Ah yes, but I purposely allowed me self to be defeated. You see, I fancied someone else..." He cleared his throat solemnly. "Very well, and where is your daughter Fergus?"

Fergus gestured at the ship. "Ah believ'd that me daughter is having a chat with her mother. But first, ah would like to tank you for accepting our request. Yah will be rewardid handsomely." He stared at Snotlout, who had come forward a little. "And tha' mus' be yer son." Fergus gestured in Snotlout's direction.

Stoick glanced at Hiccup's cousin. "Nah, he isn't. But he is also a relative." Stoick beckoned Hiccup towards him, so he reluctantly let go of Astrid's hand. "Now, this is my son—Hiccup." Stoick held Hiccup's shoulders proudly.

Fergus examined Hiccup closely in the face, which made him nervous.

'I should've chosen my finest Viking clothes,' Hiccup thought. "Hi?" he said to Fergus.

Fergus pulled back, his index and thumb fingers stroking his chin. "Can't bee. Tha's a talking fishbone."

Hiccup heard his friends chuckle behind him.

"Yeah, but I will be spikiest and deadliest fishbone you will ever see lying around, sir," he retorted sarcastically. "You'll never see a much finer fishbone in your life!"

Fergus smiled. "Ah like yah. Yup, yah are the son of yeh father!" He gestured at the sea vessel behind him. "Hiccop, may you escort me daughter to yeh village? Yah'll find hur at the third room yah seh below deck. If yah hear hur talking to hur mother, jast knock and she'll cam out!"

Hiccup almost had a hard time deciphering what Fergus is saying, but he nodded. "I will, sir."

Stoick let him go and Hiccup kicked the sand on his way to the ship. Up close, it was much bigger than he thought. The bow loomed over him, and the mermaid's eyes seemed to be following Hiccup. He shuddered internally.

He reached the rickety ramp and walked onto the polished deck. Some of the crew aboard saluted him, so Hiccup saluted back. "Uh-your leader had asked me to accompany the princess," Hiccup said. A meaty crew member nodded and he gestured towards the stairs.

Hiccup mumbled his thanks, and went down quietly. He was just in front of the third room when he heard it through the closed door.

"...AHND WE'VE BEEN THRU THIS!" a female teen voice cried in the same Scottish accent like Fergus.

"Shhh! Merida, I know. Bu' this time, instead of being directly married without ahny bond, yah'll get ta know the boy first!" replied a much more regal voice.

"The boy who trains dragons?" Merida asked in a frustrated way. "And ah thought you were doing this tah me as a favor, allowing me tah have adventure—and freedom!"

Hiccup stumbled back. Him? Get married to a princess? No, no, no...this can't be happening. What are they playing at?

Hiccup breathed deeply and concentrated. Panicking won't do him any good right now. He knocked on the door twice.

"And he iz here!" said the regal voice. "Pull yourself together Merida!"

Someone opened the door. A woman, whom Hiccup guessed was the queen smiled at him warmly. She wore a green velvet dress with a few golden jewelries. A simple crown demanded for attention on her head.

There was a sound in the room behind the queen that sounded suspiciously like a head banging a table firmly. Hiccup couldn't help it but he pitied the table.

"Uh, your highness," Hiccup bowed respectfully. The queen smiled.

"Rise, young boy," she flicked her hand upwards. "Ahm Queen Elinor. Are you the dragon trainer? If so, ah have heard a lot about you."

"Y-Yes, your highness," Hiccup replied nervously. Suddenly, he thought about the conversation about marriage he heard in the room a while ago. A sense of foreboding filled him and he gulped.

Elinor continued. "You and my daughter wud get along well. Come on in." She opened the door further and light poured out in the hall.

Hiccup held up his hand, permitting it to block out the harsh rays of sunlight that was passing through several small windows in the far corner of the room. There was a comfortable velvet sofa at the side, and there were pictures scattered on the walls. The thing Hiccup noticed most was a tapestry on his right. It would've been beautiful if the tear between Elinor and the rest of her family wasn't visible. Looking closer, he observed that the tear was hastily mended, since the thread zigzagged on random places on the cloth.

Hiccup glanced up at the queen and directed at the textile fabric. "Nice workmanship despite the flaw."

But Elinor was staring at a tangled red heap at the side of the table. "Merida! Show some etiquette!" Elinor said commandingly.

"So whut? Tha' ah may see another ugly face again, especially someone probably scarred by drahgons?" came a muffled voice against the wood. "The last time ah met a boy me age was the Time of the Highland Games, and they were all competing for my hand. Ahnd oll of them were like bozos."

Hiccup was aware of his face heating up in anger. This is the princess? Hiccup did not imagine that her hair would be curly and unkempt, and not straight. He did not imagine her being quite rude. And most of all, he did not imagine being called a stupid bozo while the princess squashes her face on that flat surface.

Elinor glanced at Hiccup apprehensively. He realized she was asking help. He knew that look from experience, especially from what happened a few months ago. He had become mature enough to see that.

Hiccup decided that this was his time to shine. He raised an eyebrow in Merida's direction. "Your highness, I recommend the you should first see your acquaintance. I do not advise you to stop being _offensively impolite_, but please, not before you discern your guest visually, even if the said guest had a supposedly _unattractive_ face," he remarked smartly.

Elinor gaped at him, but she covered her mouth with her delicate hands and hid a smile.

Merida's head snapped up, tossing her hair in the process. "Tha' was unexpected." She turned her head around, and at last, Hiccup saw her face. To say that Merida's wild red hair framing face blue eyes suited her well was an understatement. She is pretty in a stubborn kind of way—not unlike Astrid. She was holding a bow and an arrow expertly. Hiccup was suddenly nervous. What if he had gone too far? He felt his hands shudder.

Merida regarded Hiccup. Her eyes slid past Hiccup's face and past his arms.

"Wha's your name?" Merida asked.

"Um-er, Hiccup."

"Hiccop—what a peculiar name. Noth an unattractive face ah reckon," Merida commented.

"So Merida," Elinor interrupted. "Would you allow him tah escort you now?"

"Ah can handle me self." Merida stood up stiffly and faced Hiccup. "Smart-mouth, come ahnd lead me to your dragons," she beckoned.

Hiccup opened the door, and allowed Merida to pass. He was about to step out when he felt a hand touch his shoulder. He flinched and turned around just to come face to face with Queen Elinor.

"Ah hope you weren't unnerved with the earlier conversation 'bout the 'so-called' engagement, and yes, know you heard us," Elinor whispered hastily. "Bu' do not fear for that wasn't me plan. Ah was just teaching me daughter that boys aren't as insignificant as she thinks."

Elinor let him go, and Hiccup stumbled but he nodded. As he turned his back to join Merida who was already at he deck, Hiccup heard the queen mutter, "Ahnd you are not doing a bad job."

**—–—–—**

**Author's note: I really need criticisms right now to allow me to write better for you people...Please?**


	4. Chapter Three- A Big Surprise for Hiccup

**Chapter Three-** A Big Surprise for Hiccup

The panic attack started the moment Hiccup set his foot on the sand. How could he impress an obstinate princess more by being him? Sure, he had done a marvelous job on the ship, but his sassy and sarcastic side only shows when he's not nervous. Right now though, he couldn't summon his confidence again, and anxiety seemed to press against him from all sides.

His emerald green eyes scanned the edge of the woods, searching for his father and friends. He found no one. He shook his head, and his brown hair dangled a little over his eyes.

'They must've returned to the village,' he thought. A _Thump!_ startled him. He flinched as he looked behind. He found Merida dusting off her blue dress.

"Tha' was fun,' she said.

"Uh—you jumped off the deck?" Hiccup asked meekly, pointing upwards. "What's the use of the ramp then?"

Merida rolled her eyes. She blew a stray lock of hair and crossed her arms. "Tha's for those who are a'fraid of heights," she answered.

"Oh-w-well, okay," Hiccup stuttered. He fiddled with his fingers, unsure what to say next. He was suddenly surprised when Merida waved her hand in front of him.

"Hallo!" she cried. "Where is the Smart-mouth tha' answered me back on the ship?"

Hiccup took a step backward. "Hey! You know what? Let's just go to my village now. You want to find danger? Fine. I'll let you see danger." He beckoned her to follow him and he started walking. The wind blew around them, and a few leaves floated around the perimeter.

They were already at the edge of the woods when Merida spoke again. "Yah have a prosthetic metal foot."

Hiccup glanced at her. "Yeah. I got that when I saved my tribe from a monstrous dragon, the Red Death." He ran a hand through his hair nervously.

Sunlight danced on Hiccup's head as he moved one step after another over the thick roots of trees. He told Merida his story.

"Me father also has a prosthetic leg," Merida responded quietly. "He got it when he bought my mother and Ah time to escape from a Mor'du—"

"Mor'du?" Hiccup asked, not having heard of the unusual word before. "Some kind of evil dragon?"

"A big bear tha' has so much strength," Merida said. "Me mother also almost became one—"

"What?"

"Long story."

Unexpectedly, Hiccup felt a familiar shift in the air currents. Apparently, Merida felt it too.

"Get down!" she said, but before she could shove him towards the ground, a streak of black beat her to it.

Hiccup was thrown back with a familiar weight. He looked into it's face and found large green eyes staring back at him. "Toothless!" he said.

There was a sound behind Toothless like a bow being pulled back. Hiccup immediately got out from under Toothless and saw Merida aim at the Night Fury's back.

"Merida! No!" Hiccup stood between his dragon and the arrow. "It's okay. You just startled him."

Merida glared at the dragon. "I startled him?!"

"Uh—you do shout a lot," Hiccup clarified.

"It's color's like Mor'du," Merida observed.

Hiccup looked back behind him, and he was shocked to see that he was actually already restraining Toothless from attacking the princess.

"Merida, drop you bow," Hiccup said urgently.

"Ahnd why?" Merida asked.

"First thing you'll learn from me," Hiccup started nervously, "is to obey my commands as the Dragon Trainer. Y-you want to tame a dragon? Drop your weapon first."

He watched as Merida lowered her bow and arrow carefully and reluctantly.

"Good." Hiccup let go of Toothless.

"Wha—wha' are you doin'?" Merida automatically began to reach for her bow.

"Don't!" Instantly, Hiccup was beside her. He grabbed her outstretched arm, and led her towards Toothless.

The Night Fury was also walking cautiously towards her, but it has no fear in it's eyes.

"Le' go of me!" Merida cried.

"Relax. I am not letting it hurt you, princess." Hiccup put her hand on Toothless' snout. But Merida accidentally stared at it right in the eyes. Toothless stepped back, snarling. '_Come on!_' Hiccup thought.

"Turn your head away and let it come to you," Hiccup directed. He let go of Merida's arm.

Merida obeyed. She turned her head and let her thick hair tumble down. A few seconds passed with her hand opened. Then, she felt a scaly surface touch it from beneath. She looked up and saw the dragon nudging her palm.

Hiccup smiled at her. "Not bad, Merida."

_BOOM_! A large fireball passed through the sky and landed at a spot a hundred meters from where they stood, and it had incinerated the tops of trees.

Hiccup and Merida fell back, while Toothless' ears perked up alarmingly. They stood up. Merida grabbed her bow again. "Wha's that?"

Without answering, Hiccup ran as fast as he can towards the site of the landing, letting the thick smoke mark its place. His eyes widened at the circle of fire licking the ground. The size was bigger than Berk itself, which was saying something. It was a big inferno.

Hiccup only knew one dragon that could've made that humongous fire comet, and it was supposedly killed by him and Toothless. '_Impossible_,' he thought. He grabbed his head between his hands. For a moment, he could hear nothing. He realized that someone behind him is calling his name.

"Hiccop!" Merida called. She stopped when she saw the whole view of the fire. It was a cauldron of hell.

Hiccup snapped out of his misery. The fire came from the direction of Berk, and he must get there in time. He went on top of Toothless, who came with Merida. His metal foot clicked into place.

"Merida...I need you to ready your bow," Hiccup called.

"I's always reddy," Merida retorted.

"Great, now really advanced lesson number two: dangerous suicidal flying. Come on up!" Hiccup said hastily.

Merida hesitated, but she swung her feet over the dragon's back. She held tightly on Hiccup's waist.

"Fly, bud!" Hiccup yelled. Toothless spread his wings and jumped up. Hiccup adjusted the flap with his foot and the wind caught the dragon's wings. They flew at maximum speed towards Berk.

The clouds spread out from under them, and Hiccup felt Merida tense with happiness. Yet, Hiccup wasn't happy. How could've the dragon in mind came to life again?

As they neared the Viking village, they both gasped.

Black smoke curled in the air. Hundreds of houses were demolished by seemingly a big claw. The people of Berk ran around in panic, and there were areas where confusion was brimming.

A young female child was screaming for her mother who was outside, trying to subdue the fire. The girl was in a burning house at the second floor. Toothless did a dive and crashed the ceiling, and Hiccup quickly, caught the girl's hand. He gave her to Merida, who secured the child in front of her.

They flew towards the woman and she received her child. They punctured the smoke as they flew upwards once again.

Hiccup couldn't breathe. He coughed and travelled higher up the heavens. Merida tightened her grip around Hiccup's waist.

And there it was, Hiccup's nightmare. The Red Death. The currents its wings were making were enough to keep its attackers at bay.

Although the heat was blowing on his freckly face, he maneuvered Toothless, and they shot forward.

"Ah thought tha' thing was dead!" Merida cried. Hiccup did not answer. In fact, he did not know how to react.

The 'Godzilla' dragon was swarmed by smaller dragons with people on them. Astrid was on Stormfly, shooting spikes at the Red Death's face. Hookfang blew fire on it's body. The twins allowed their dragons to claw it's eyes, and Fishlegs was yelling out instructions on Meatlug. The Red Death did not seem to know who to strike first, or rather, it was looking for revenge on a specific someone...

Hiccup's head suddenly ached. A sudden flashback almost stopped him from driving Toothless. He saw the Red Death, following him. Its mouth was opening, and he had smelled the aroma of gas—

He opened his eyes, and inhaled heavily. "Merida, are you good with your bow?" he shouted against the wind.

"Ah' am!" Merida yelled.

"Great! Advanced lesson number fifty: Fighting while riding a dragon." Hiccup turned Toothless around so that they faced one of the Red Death's eyes. Hiccup's friends noticed him, but they continued taking aggressive action against the dragon.

"Merida shoot out one of it's eyes. A-plus if it comes after us."

"Thi's ha' gotta be the most worst lesson Ah've encountered so far," Merida said as she aimed for the monster's eye. She let it fly.

Time seemed to slow down as the arrow pierced through the air, and sailed over the fog. It hit it's target. The Red Death howled in pain, and it turned in Hiccup's direction.

"Congratulations," Hiccup said to Merida. "You just graduated Dragon Training."

"So...thi's is just a test?" Merida inquired hopefully.

"Uh-no, princess," Hiccup said shakily, "I wouldn't burn my own village just so I could teach you the hard way."

The Red Death seemed to brace for something, and it began to open it's mouth. Hiccup detected the scent of a familiar flammable substance.

"Get ready, Toothless," he urged.

He felt Toothless vibrate beneath him, which is the start of a wicked plasma blast. Toothless reared back and blasted, straight towards the Red Death's gaping mouth. It was as faithful and true as Merida's shot.

But in that same millisecond of Toothless' assault— _It happened..._

_A/n: Review please..._


	5. Chapter Four— Merida DunBroch

Chapter Four- Merida

Merida DunBroch was having the time of her life. Her mother had granted her request, and they set sail for Berk. And then—she found out that it was a plan to set her up with a boy. She was already happy when she found out that Hiccup wasn't as dimwitted as she thought he would be. But then, of course, she was terrified for a moment when the black dragon, Toothless 'attacked' Hiccup. The Night Fury almost looked like the bear in Merida's nightmares.

Just when she thought that things are going to be fine by flying on the dragon and letting the wind pass through her hair, a stupid bulky dragon the size of the sky ruined everything once more. Finally, she was delighted because she was firing arrows and helping the Dragon Trainer defeat the Red Death, who had supposedly experienced death earlier.

But, of course, like all the past scenes, bad luck hugged her tighter. They were very close in attaining victory, for Toothless delivered the ultimate assault.

She watched as the blue fire moved across the open air, threatening everything around it to come forward so that the fire could devour it. The thing is: _something did come forward._

At first, Merida thought it was a just smoke, but it seemed like a solid kind of smoke. It was quick, for it caught the blast mid-air, sparing the Red Death. It dispersed for a moment, yet it became whole again. This time, Merida noted that it had eyes. Glowing yellow eyes.

It reared, and whinnied loudly, happily trampling onto thin air. _'A wee evil horse_,' Merida thought. Suddenly, Merida heard Hiccup gasp, and she saw why.

Black veins of some material crawled from beneath the Red Death, like it was trying to cover the beast. Tendrils blocked the attack of who Merida guessed were Hiccup's friends. Explosions were all around, and the smaller dragons were backing off. Dark clouds blocked the sun, and for some reason, Merida felt freezing cold. She exhaled and mist clouded her vision.

The Red Death now looked like some sort of a hybrid octopus-squid-dragon, while spouting the inky black stuff. Someone screamed loudly like a banshee.

"Snotlout!" Hiccup shouted. He nudged Toothless and they were off spinning towards the source. As they neared a buff teen boy, Merida hastily loaded her bow, just in case it was needed. She was aware of the vision before her.

A black tentacle was wrapping around the legs of a red dragon, pulling it forward. Snotlout (_Seriously_, Merida thought, _what kind of parents name their children Snotlout and Hiccup?_) was trying to free his dragon.

"Come on!" Snotlout yelled, clawing at the dark stuff. "I can do this in seconds! Why can't I summon my muscles now?!"

Hiccup's other friends were also caught in the struggle. A blonde girl with bangs was trying to hack away the growing dark heap. The Red Death roared viciously.

A two-headed dragon's neck were knotted around together, and twins were untangling it. A fat dragon was already bumping the hide of the Red Death, not being able to be pulled closer.

Toothless was about to dive towards the company when suddenly, the black dragon jerked, almost throwing off Hiccup forward.

"And there goes my earlier monologue about throwing myself to the ground and dying painfully, Toothless." Hiccup gripped his hands on Toothless' scaly hide.

The dragon jerked again. Merida looked down and saw another tendril pulling Toothless. The Night Fury's wings were in turbo mode right now, beating the wind harder.

"Toothless!" Hiccup cried hoarsely. The tendrils was spreading around the black dragon, wrapping it in a half-cocoon. Merida felt something pressing against her leg. She looked down and saw the tendrils creeping upwards. She tried to jerk her leg away, but failed miserably. She is stuck.

Merida touched the tendril and felt its texture. She pulled back her hand quickly.

"Hiccop!" Merida shouted. "Tha thing is made of sand!"

Hiccup glanced at her once more. It was obvious that he almost did not know what to do. Almost.

Merida recognized the tiniest flicker of a plan in his emerald eyes. She remembered that the same thing happened on the ship, as she faced him for the first time.

"Merida," Hiccup said urgently. "The sand is only touching my metal foot. I am going to pull it off and I will jump off towards the ground and die painfully—"

"Are yah—" Merida cried but was quickly interrupted by Hiccup.

"No time for that. And now—goodbye!" Hiccup jumped off, gritting his teeth.

"Nooooo!" Merida felt a purpose. She must save Hiccup. She kicked the sand away forcefully and freed herself, and she sat on the saddle. Settling down her foot, she felt Hiccup's prosthetic one. Using her toes, she clamped its bar tightly.

Toothless was also having progress. Its protective instinct seemed to be taking over if it has one, and Merida braced for the ride. Toothless struggled one more time, and pulled out of its restriction, and they dropped like a two-hundred pound stone. The black sand dispersed upwards, and floated away from them.

Merida's stomach took a scenic route towards her throat. The ground was meeting them fast... and so is Hiccup. He had closed his eyes, but his face was calm, and Toothless folded his wings to fall even swifter.

Five feet. Five feet before Hiccup will die painfully, and Toothless caught its owner. They almost crash-landed onto the ground, but Merida, on pure guess, moved the metal foot with her toes hard enough so that Toothless will land on its feet, and not on its face.

Merida jumped off and the hem of her dress was punished by the filthy ground.

"Wha were you thinkin'?" Merida shouted.

"We're free," Hiccup managed to say. He gripped his side, and looked upwards. Merida also tilted her head, but all she could see was a black shadow for everything was covered with zero-visibility fog.

"Trust," Hiccup forced out, "is the hardest thing for one to commit oneself. Falling from the sky is the best test of trust, for few would try it."

He dragged himself onto the saddle and fitted his metal foot onto his leg. All around them, haze traced the outline of the air.

A sonic boom sounded above them, echoing against the sky.

"Dad on a dragon," Hiccup explained briefly, when Merida looked at him questioningly.

Merida climbed on Toothless' back again, and they were off once more.

As they were breaking through the clouds, time stopped. The dragons, and the Red Death were suddenly at a standoff, being released from the sand. Merida breathed deeply, and was startled of a piercing laugh cutting across the sudden silence. She tasted sand as they were summoned back towards a creature on the Red Death's back.

It was thin, but it stood straight as a pole. Its long coat was black, but its face was ashen. Its teeth were white, and its eyes were hauntingly yellow.

It smiled, glad at its ferocious audience. Merida glared at the creature.

"Well!" it said. "Seems like the party's over."

"I don't see how that's a party," Hiccup retorted.

"Who are you?" Merida asked stiffly.

"Who am I?" the creature asked mockingly. "Who am I? Why, you two—" he pointed in an alternating manner between Hiccup and Merida,"—should know of all people! I am Pitch, the boogeyman, the embodiment of fear itself!"

"The booger man?" a male voice called. Merida looked behind to see who it was. She realized it was one of the twins who talked.

"What, you pick your nose or something? Because I love picking noses," the male twin continued, only to be rewarded by a sharp poke in the nostril by his female sibling. "Now, that's what I'm talking about!"

Unamused, Pitch raised his hand, and a black sand horse formed beside him, every particle moving in to find its proper place. He pointed at the blonde girl on the blue spiky dragon. Immediately, the horse ran where it is directed.

"Astrid!" Hiccup called, but it was too late. The horse scattered around Astrid and carried her beside Pitch, screaming all the way. The spiky blue dragon began to fly towards Pitch, but was rammed on the side by another black sand horse.

Astrid's neck was exposed against Pitch's hand, threatening to strangle or kill her if she makes the slightest move. A knife formed and put itself in Pitch's palm.

"No!" Hiccup screamed. Merida was never particularly close with Astrid or Hiccup, but she could tell that the Dragon Trainer cared deeply for Astrid.

"Wha do you want, Pitch?" Merida demanded. "And wha do you mean that we should know yah?"

Pitch cackled. "It is not what I want, princess brat. It's what this beast want." He tapped his foot on the monstrous dragon. "I can read its mind, watch its dreams...I can tell it wants to attack a particular person."

Pitch stared at Hiccup. "I can tell that you are surprised that this dragon is alive, are you not? You see, scrawny boy, I have been around for sometime."

Pitch dissolved and appeared in front of Toothless, leaving Astrid on the Red Death, but the knife was hovering beside her jugular, so she stayed still. "I know everything about you. You are your father's little embarrassment," Pitch taunted.

"That's not true!" a vast Viking said. "Not anymore."

Pitch smiled at Hiccup, and Merida felt him wince. "I know your stories," Pitch continued. "Let's just say that I can travel to and fro the shadows of the past. And although you thought that you killed the Red Death, Hiccup, it's still alive and kicking. I transported him through—er, this shadow of today." Pitch faced Merida. "And princess, why do you seem so tense?"

"Ahm not tense!" Merida spat. She so wanted to fire an arrow in Pitch's dimwitted face.

"Um nat tins!" Pitch mimicked. "Oh yes, I remember. You almost lost your mother. Don't worry, Merida. It is Hiccup's time first, since I must eliminate any possible threats that will hinder me from winning my goal. Maybe, you will come in second..."

Merida slapped Pitch across the face. The shadow touched his cheek. "You know fear alright, that's why you can see me."

"What do you mean see you?" Hiccup asked shakily.

Pitch opened his mouth to answer, possibly say that they are stupid or something. Unfortunately, he was hit by a simple red flying sleigh pulled by reindeer, and he was sent plummeting below. Merida hunted back home for those enough to know that they are reindeer.

She can't see anyone on the sleigh, but she remembered a story her mother once told her, about a man giving gifts to children, and instantly, she saw him on the sleigh, like a cloak of invisibility being pulled off the man. She believed. And she knew what to do next.

Author's note: Thanks for the past reviews. *smiles* But review this please.


	6. Chapter Five- The Man on the Sleigh

**Chapter Five- Merida and the Man on the Sleigh**

"What was _that_?" Hiccup cried in surprise. At once, Merida felt a shift in the tension Pitch had built. Everyone started to move, blinking as if they had fallen asleep, and the Red Death roared, almost throwing Astrid off. The hovering knife, however, seemed to inspire Astrid to stay very still.

Merida waved a hand, beckoning the man on the sleigh. "Don't you see him?"

"See what? The empty weird flying sleigh? Obviously, princess..." Hiccup scoffed.

Merida whacked him in the head with her bow. Hiccup automatically placed his hand on the spot, rubbing it to soothe the pain.

"_Ow_—you know what? I'm going to save Astrid. Come on, bud." Hiccup nudged Toothless and he adjusted the tail flap.

Merida had about a millisecond to wonder why Hiccup couldn't see the man on the sleigh before Toothless beat his wings and went after Astrid. The knife suddenly moved, seemingly having a mind of its own. It was about to deliver the final strike that will end Astrid's life—

"Merida! Now!" Hiccup commanded desperately.

Merida aimed carefully and fired. Normally, people would stop her from doing that especially when there is a possibility that she could hurt someone's neck. Not Hiccup.

The confident arrow hit the sandy blade, millimeters from the jugular, and Astrid pulled away. Merida can see from her eyes that she was terrified. The blue spiky dragon that was Astrid's finally pinned the black horse with its spikes, so it flew back to her. The black horse dispersed and was scattered by the wind.

Beyond them, the man on the sleigh was fighting Pitch in a hand-to-hand combat. Swords and a scythe danced in a complex pattern. Pitch appeared to be talking with the man in a annoyed way.

Merida looked around, and she saw the vast Viking whom she supposed was Hiccup's father. What was his name? She tried to remember what Fergus told her about this tribe. Oh, right. His name is Stoick. Just then, Merida slapped her hand on her forehead, eyes widening in realization.

_Where was her father?_

"Hiccop! Ah need to talk to Stoick!" Merida said.

"My father?" Hiccup said as he turned Toothless around. The wind carried the Night Fury next to the chief Viking. Stoick turned around from his fight with another floating black horse to acknowledge them. He struck one final time with his fist against the horse's neck.

Merida couldn't help but pity the horse despite of what those had done against them all. It reminded her too much of her beloved Angus, whom she was forced to leave back at the ship. She figured that her own horse might be frightened of the dragons and it will run crazy.

"Chief Stoick, where is me father?" Merida inquired anxiously.

Stoick stared at her sympathetically. "Your father is back at the ship. He had offered to fight, but the first blast by the Red Death incinerated his right arm." He looked behind Merida who was visibly stunned by the news.

"Princess! Hiccup! Duck." Stoick pulled them down, dragon and all, as a fire blast sailed above their heads, seemingly in slow motion. As Merida tilted her head back, her hair followed a bit later. The fire singed the ends of her curls, and she felt the heat touch her face. Hiccup had bowed his head down, while his brown hair was blowing backwards in the direction of the hot wind.

And just as quickly, time went back to its normal speed.

Merida recovered her original position. Dazed, she clutched her hair and tried to make sense of their surroundings. She thought she heard Toothless rumble beneath her, about to send another plasma blast towards the Red Death. Berk was in ruins below them. And she knew that Hiccup was already distraught. It was probably because of too many things happening: the crazy monster, the freak specter, and the so-called empty sleigh. She needed him to focus his mind.

She tapped him on the shoulder, and he immediately turned around.

"What is it?" Hiccup said in a tired way.

"Can yah not lead the Red Death away?" Merida asked. "It wants yah. All of these attacks are for naught, and we cannot win this today!"

Hiccup closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He gave Merida the impression that he was thinking of a better idea but it was connected to her request. Maybe he was planning to tie a leash around the Red Death's neck and say "Come, Leroy."

Hiccup opened his eyes and said quietly, "Of course," and for a moment, Merida was suspicious that he read her mind miraculously and actually planned to do that.

"Merida, hold on. This is going to be a bumpy ride." Hiccup adjusted the tail flap, and Toothless shot forward.

Hiccup turned towards his friends, and Toothless fired a plasma blast above them to get their attention. All of Hiccup's friends looked at him, and they stopped their futile attacks, as if they were awaiting Hiccup's orders. Merida suddenly realized that responsibilities like this might've come often, and Hiccup was forced to handle it, being the dragon trainer and all. That was the only explanation she can get out of the situation at that time.

"Okay, here is the plan," Hiccup started, as the gang gathered around him with the exception of Stoick. "We are going to put the Red Death where it belongs—"

"In a cage—?" the female twin asked.

"Among the dead—?" Astrid said.

"_At my feet?!" Snotlout demanded._

"No," Hiccup answered, biting his lip nervously. The Red Death roared again, confused as to where the gang went. Merida was curious where this is going.

Hiccup stared blankly at the waters at the East of Berk. "No—Ruff, Tuff, I want you to anger it so it shall follow us. Fishlegs, bring a bunch of rocks. We are going to bring the Red Death back to the Dragon's Nest—_and lock him there._"

—

The sea raced below the various dragons' claws. They left Stoick at Berk, and prompted him to fix the mess as chief. The gargantuan Red Death was following close behind, and Pitch was on it, who apparently broke out of the fight with the man on the sleigh. This thought reminded Merida that she was getting tired of calling the man in the sleigh 'the man in the sleigh'.

She tried to remember his name in the tales her mother used to tell her. Sandy Claws? No. Saber Cat? Nuh-uh.

She racked her brain one more time, and it came to her... Santa Claus. Well, at least that was what Elinor told her, during their lesson on the dark ages. He was a myth, she had told Merida back then.

Speaking of Santa, he was following behind the Red Death, still in pursuit of Pitch.

Hiccup pointed in front of them, at an island with a few dragons flying at the top of a dormant volcano, coming in and out of some sort of gigantic cave. The island gave the impression of being out of place, and was the exact stark contrast of Berk, full of people. This one seemed reduced to a perch for dragons.

"Give up _Vikings_!" Pitch discouraged. "I will eliminate all of you. I will not let you ruin my plans!"

The island's shore was below them, awaiting for their arrival. Hiccup, Merida and the others did not answer anything.

"Giving me the silent treatment, huh? Fine. My Nightmares will keep you silent forever!" Pitch extended a hand, and a huge mass of sand gathered around the Red Death, threatening to become a future stampede of hooves.

_It's time._

"NOW!" Merida shouted.

The effect was immediate. Snotlout's dragon belched out a wall of fire, and Stormfly (the second dragon name Merida learned so far) threw spikes from its tail. As the spikes passed through the sheet of flames, they were ignited, and hit the face of the behemoth dragon.

Merida heard Pitch shout in anger, unamused by the antic. The Red Death roared in pain.

The dragon riders landed their respective reptiles in the cave, remaining in readiness for the next action.

Fishlegs spouted a few facts about the Red Death. "Tail made for bashing, gargantuan body, no blind spot... the size of this cave should be big enough, Hiccup!"

Hiccup nodded grimly. "Merida, Astrid, you know what to do."

Merida jumped off Toothless and climbed next to Astrid. They were tasked to distract Pitch as much as possible.

"Get ready, Merida," Astrid said in anticipation of the embodiment of fear. Merida realized that all of them are probably fearful of the events in action.

The Red Death was getting closer, and Pitch had his army of Nightmares running next to him. The sky darkened, while the sun was sliced in half as it settled in the West.

Stormfly spread its wings, cocking its head to the side as it did so. The Deadly Nadder kicked the ground and was off.

Astrid steered Stormfly so that they faced Pitch head on.

Pitch Black smiled and travelled towards them. Stormfly lowered its head, while Pitch used his sand to rocket him faster. Merida secretly got her bow and an arrow. It will be hard for her to aim without being noticed, and it will be hard to fire while her bow was horizontally drawn, but right now, she has no choice. She pulled back the string, and let it go, estimating that the air currents are going to intercept it.

Pitch was very near in hammering the blue dragon, but a sharp pain in his shoulder pulled him back, stopping his assault. He looked at it and was shocked to see an arrow sticking out of it. There was no blood, but it burned like magma. As Stormfly proceeded to headbutt Pitch, the shadow vanished, along with his Nightmares, into nowhere. Merida and Astrid succeeded.

Stormfly went behind the Red Death, and released a few spikes unto its rear end. The Red Death roared and the pain forced it to go faster into the cave's mouth where Hiccup and the others await to seal it in, while the behemoth dragon caused an avalanche of rocks to block the entrance.

It came to Merida's mind that Santa Claus was nowhere to be seen. She looked around but she did not saw him.

Just then, Astrid turned around and said, "You're alright."

Merida smiled with the lines on the edge of her mouth showing, then she and Astrid bumped their fists.

Astrid maneuvered Stormfly back to the blocked cave. Merida smelled sulfur, and she observed that lava was spewing out of Fishlegs' dragon, hardening the rocks. The others were helping by putting more stones and rocks to fill in every gap. Merida noticed that Hiccup was not among them. A small quake startled them, coming from inside the volcano.

"Where's Hiccop?" Merida inquired.

Fishlegs glanced at her with some difficulty. "Hiccup is above the caldera," he stated simply. "He is planning to kill the Red Death."

Astrid nudged Stormfly and it was off once again, scaling the landscape before joining Hiccup.

Merida noted that below them was a hole that was large enough for Toothless to fire a blast in. She saw Hiccup's eyes darting side by side, either awaiting his chance for the Red Dragon to open its mouth or convincing himself not to do it.

As Stormfly landed beside Toothless, Merida said, "Wha are yah waiting for? Kill it."

As if on cue, a roar echoed around them, opening its mouth in the process. Toothless shuddered, waiting for its command.

Hiccup was silent.

"It is the logical thing to do, Hiccup," Astrid said. "Pitch might go for it again—"

"I know," Hiccup replied. "But—It's trapped. It suffered enough."

"You're feeling sympathy for it?!" Merida snapped.

"Yes." Hiccup lowered his head. "I am."

"But—"

"Merida," Hiccup interrupted abruptly, "if I am going to kill it, Toothless and I will slay it in battle—not when it is helplessly imprisoned. No dragon aside from it will stay here anytime soon. They abandoned their queen."

Hiccup nudged Toothless, and beckoned them to follow him upwards towards the heavens. It was clear that his decision is final.

"Merida, Astrid and I want to show you something," he added. They passed the clouds as they watch the sun sink into its watery bed. And Merida saw the most beautiful thing she ever saw. Stars were scattered in the blue skyscape, and meteorites showered the night. The full moon seemed to be smiling at them, lighting up the darkness.

And yet, why did something feel so wrong?

Some force made Merida look down. Hiccup's friends were hidden from view, but that was insignificant compared to what is Merida seeing now.

An eye was glowing in the hole they were above earlier, framed with red light, and it filled Merida with dread, forcing her not to say anything. It disappeared and Merida felt a shift in the air below. The air below felt warmer. She smelled gas.

"Hiccop! Astrid!" she shouted.

Too late. A column of fire erupted from the volcano. It was not an explosion. It came from the Red Death's throat.

Everything was in slow motion again.

The fire slowly came up, then Toothless was being steered by Hiccup in Stormfly's direction. He forced Toothless to shove them aside. The fire was already at the soles of their shoes. Its heat made Merida dizzy.

Time came back to its normal speed, and their sides were hit by the flame. Merida's sleeve was on fire, and she fell off. She was dimly aware of a smoking Hiccup above her, and Astrid's face was covered in soot. The dragons were in no greater condition, for Toothless' tail flap was burned, and Stormfly's eyes were closed. All of them are free-falling onto the sharp rocks below.

Merida knew they won't survive. There was no way they could survive.

She closed her eyes like the others. Her arm was in pain.

And that's when it occurred. She hit a flat surface. Several thuds meant that the others were caught too. She opened one eye, and she saw a man with a red coat. _Santa Claus_, she thought. And the world spun around once more before the night was swallowed by the darkness...

_**Author's note: One long chapter for you all...hopefully. Oh, and see that story cover photo? That was made by the amazing Arrow of Artemis. Review for the sake of the review.**_


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